Nellie Skaff, age 90 a longtime Ames resident died Tuesday January 6 at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames. A Gathering of friends and family will be 4:00 PM -- 7:00 PM Friday January 9, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care 414 Lincoln Way in Ames with a 7:00 PM Funeral Service at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care. On Sunday January 11 there will be a visitation 5:00 PM -- 8:00Pm at St. Thomas Orthodox Church 1100 Jones St. Sioux City with a Trisagion service at 7:00 PM. The Funeral Service will be at 10:00 AM Monday January 12 at St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Sioux City. Burial will take place at Graceland Cemetery in the St. Thomas Orthodox Section in Sioux City.
Nellie Skaff was born January 13, 1918, in Winner, South Dakota to Wolf and Sadie Headid.
The family operated a large dairy farm in that area. In order to move closer to their extended family, the family moved to Sioux City in 1928, where they had a large garden and sold the produce to local stores. Nellie graduated from East High School in Sioux City, Iowa, at the age of 16.
On September 19, 1944, Nellie married Major David J. Skaff and to this union, two sons were born, Joseph and David. The family lived in Sioux City, Denison, Guthrie Center, and Council Bluffs, before moving to Ames in the fall of 1962.
In 1963, Nellie started selling real estate in the Ames area, and continued her work until 1993 when she retired. In 1993, she was awarded the Gold Achievement Award by the Iowa Association of Realtors -- In Recognition of Excellence in Listing and Sales of Real Estate. Nellie was a past member of the National Association of Realtors, the Iowa Board of Realtors, and the Ames Board of Realtors. She was also a member of St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Sioux City, Iowa.
Nell's home and kitchen were always open and she loved to have family and friends stop by. Her kitchen table was always set and ready for her guests and she was never without a little snack to go along with your coffee. She became well known for her good cooking and for being such a gracious hostess.
Nell always took great pride in the flowers she tended to around the outside of her apartment and she loved the fact that folks would stop as they walked by her home just to admire their beauty.
Nellie is survived by her two sons, Joe (Diana) Skaff of Ames, David (Linda) Skaff of Kansas City, Missouri; by 4 grandchildren, Jodi (Jeff) Furnald of Story City, Iowa, Jana (John) Janosik, of Rochester, Minnesota, Andrew Skaff of Kansas City, Missouri, Steven (Kim) Skaff of Round Lake, Illinois; and 3 great grandchildren, Janey and Joey Furnald, and Holly Janosik. She is also survived by her brother Roy Headid of Sioux City, Iowa, and sister, Jennie Mulneaux of Clinton, Iowa, as well as a host of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, brothers George, Richard, Merched, James, and Mahlon, and sisters, Elizabeth Skaff, and Mimi Yates.
Memorials may be directed it Israel Family Hospice House in Ames and St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Sioux City.
Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.